27.

Ever since I've stayed at Quinn's, my health went tremendously up. My sleep has improved and even my appetite has improved.

"Does my Father know what happened?" I asked helping her wash the dishes one evening.

She stopped in mid drying a plate. "Well the school tried to contact him but didn't succeed, so I tried my luck and he ended up picking up,"

"H-he did?" I asked slightly panicking.

"Yeah...he did..." I thought she would have more to say about it but she didn't. It made me panic even harder.

"W-w-well what happened?" I bit my lip to stop it from quivering.

"Oh, well, he didn't really seem to care..." Her eyebrows furrowed as if she were in deep thought.

"O-oh.."

Silence followed and we continued finishing our task. Once we were done, I was on my way to bed when she stopped me.

"Ash..?"

I gulped. "...Yeah?"

"Are you...uhm...being mistreated at home?"

I looked away from her, avoiding her questioning gaze.

"Ash?" She asked again in a softer but more firm tone.

A burning feeling went up inside of my chest, as if I was angry. Angry that she was trying to push her way into my life but at the same time, a different type of burning was there too. I wanted her to know...but that angry burning felt so big, so tremendous that I wanted to take it out all on her.

But she isn't the center of my anger, I shouldn't take it out on her...she doesn't deserve that, I told myself.

She deserves to know what happened. As quickly as it came, the anger left. My shoulders slumped in defeat.

My voice barely a whisper, I uttered. "Can I tell you something?"